Ever since Rebecca Bunch, the main character in The CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” left her job and life in Manhattan and moved to West Covina, local officials have celebrated the creators for setting show in the city.

But with the third season set to premiere Friday, the benefits of the show calling the San Gabriel Valley suburb home appear to have been more promotional than financial, despite city officials’ earlier hopes that production could boost the city’s coffers.

“It’s been a fun thing for the city and it’s been great that it gets the name out there, but I can’t measure the value,” Toma said.

Since 2014, the show, originally developed at Showtime, has taken out just three film permits with the city, generating nearly $28,000 to process and review permits and provide security and traffic control during shoots, according to senior planner Ron Garcia.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” follows Bunch, played by Bloom, as she suddenly quits her job at a top New York City law firm and moves to West Covina to pursue Josh Chan, played by Vincent Rodriguez III, a guy she once had a crush on 10 years before during musical summer camp.

The pilot episode, which was filmed in 2014 at 1821 E. Merced Ave, 1469 McCabe Way, 1050 Lakes Drive, Plaza West Covina and Big League Dreams, brought in around $20,916 — or about 75 percent of the total revenue.

It featured “West Covina” with one of the show’s more extravagant musical productions in which Bloom rises above The Lakes mall courtyard on a giant pretzel.

Film crews returned in 2015 to Big League Dreams, Garcia said. They came back earlier this year just to get some B-roll, or stock footage of signs and landmarks.

Julio Marin, 34, of Azusa walks past a replica of Yankee Stadium at Big League Dreamers in West Covina, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. Big League Dreamers was featured in the CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” (Correspondent photo by Trevor Stamp)

As is typical in the industry, most of the show has been filmed at its studio’s sound stage, which for “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is in North Hollywood, according to a CBS Television Studios spokesperson.

It’s not that creators didn’t want to film more in West Covina. Logistically, it is easier to shoot at the stage because of scheduling and the volume of musical numbers in the show, the spokesperson said.

Still, the portion of the show filmed in the city is recognizable and generates excitement among fans who live in or visit the city.

Actor Vincent Rodriguez III, left, takes a selfie with Carolyn Hendley of West Covina as actress Donna Lynne Champlin photo bombs after a screening of the pilot episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” in the council chambers at City Hall in West Covina, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

Actor Vincent Rodriguez III and actress Donna Lynne Champlin meet and greet locals after a screening of the pilot episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” in the council chambers at City Hall in West Covina, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

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Actor Vincent Rodriguez III and actress Donna Lynne Champlin pose for photos with locals after a screening of the pilot episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” in the council chambers at City Hall in West Covina, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

Mayor Fredrick Sykes gives the key to the city to Executive producer Aline Brosh McKenna as Actor Vincent Rodriguez III, second from right, along with actress Donna Lynne Champlin, left, along with board members pose for photos after a screening of the pilot episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” in the council chambers at City Hall in West Covina, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

Locals watch a screening of the pilot episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” in the council chambers at City Hall in West Covina, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

“We definitely hear from people, some regulars and some people who have never been here before,” said Big League Dreams General Manager Chris Simonson.

The sportsplex’s Stadium Club restaurant and bar served as the workplace for Chan’s friend Greg Serrano, played by Santino Fontana.

“It’s a pretty tight-knit community so everybody really enjoyed having that filmed in West Covina. The people play here took notice of that as well,” Simonson said.

It’s difficult to tell, however, if the show has increased tourism in the city.

“We don’t have any ability to track it honestly,” Toma said.

Regardless, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” has put West Covina on the map — and that’s a good thing.

“I have relatives from Illinois and Texas, friends that I know across the country who are watching the show as well, and they bring it up to me” because it’s based in West Covina, resident Lisa Mayo said.

And the show is really good, too, said Toma, who is hosting a watch party for the Season 3 premiere.

When asked which resident was the biggest fan of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Toma laughed and asked, “beyond me?”

“The show is just very smart and creative,” he said. “I’m a big fan of Rachel Bloom in particular because she brings up a lot of interesting issues, but in a fun way. The casting is also much more diverse than what is typical on network shows.”

Stephanie K. Baer is a general assignment reporter covering the San Gabriel Valley. Baer has written about crime, local government, politics and public health. Her reporting on flaws in Los Angeles County's restaurant grading system prompted officials to change the way they issue health grades to retail food facilities. As part of a fellowship program at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism's Center for Health Journalism, she wrote an in-depth series about the dangers of blue-green algae toxins in California. A Bay Area native and UC Berkeley graduate, Baer has worked for the Chicago Tribune and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She was editor-in-chief and president of her college newspaper, The Daily Californian.